KS1 Curriculum Intent
At Hodnet Primary School, we endeavour to provide a broad and balanced, but flexible, curriculum which meets the needs of our children, and enables every child to fulfil their potential. We pride ourselves on our ability to tailor our curriculum to the interests and needs of our children and involve the children in their own learning as much as possible. Our curriculum reflects our school aims for every child; encouraging positive relationships based upon mutual trust and respect whilst maintaining a ‘can do’ strive for success attitude. Our ambitious curriculum has been designed to follow the statutory requirements for all children from the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum. We ensure that children have the opportunity to experience the curriculum and express themselves as an individual.

The key principles behind our curriculum design are based on these wishes for our children:

To be happy, respectful and kind

To be confident with a strong sense of self-belief

To be resilient

To be excited and inspired by learning

To be an independent learner and a creative thinker

To have high aspirations

To be creative

To have eyes open to a world beyond their immediate surroundings

To be an effective communicator

To have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed

Curriculum Implementation

We expose our children to enriching experiences, immersing them in progressive knowledge and skills and equipping them with personal characteristics required to succeed in life.

Across all areas of the curriculum, we give children an understanding not only of what they are learning, but why they are learning it. In this way, we can make children’s learning much more meaningful. We use a range of teaching styles to appeal to different children’s learning styles; these include demonstration, discussion, using visual stimuli or models, computing, research work and drama based activities. Sometimes, children will work individually, sometimes they will work in pairs and sometimes in groups, depending on the activity. Teaching in the school appeals very much to children’s learning styles, with a good mixture of visual, auditory and movement activities to help children learn. Each classroom has a digital screen and a range of other I.C.T. equipment. The children also have access to a set of laptops and I Pads which, thanks to the wireless network, can be used anywhere in the school.

We organise our learning opportunities into a themed based approach on a two year rolling programme. Our themes are broad to enable many learning opportunities to link within the topic. See our themes information and planning below. Certain subjects such as science are taught discretely rather than within the topic, this is to ensure a clear, sequenced, progressive approach fulfilling the curriculum content. 

Core skills:

Reading is a vital skill which impacts on children’s learning across the curriculum, therefore it is at the centre of our core teaching. We apply a phonetic approach to reading, using the principles from the ‘Twinkl Phonics’ synthetic phonics programme to deliver daily phonics sessions throughout Early Years and Key Stage One. We have updated our reading offer to incorporate the Rhino Readers (Twinkl Phonics) as our primary reading source for our youngest pupils. We also supplement our reading programme with a range of resources which contribute to our personalised, structured reading scheme. We continually assess and monitor the children to ensure they are taught at the appropriate phase of learning. We teach in whole class and in small groups and ensure the children are progressing through the stages at an appropriate pace. We provide additional interventions at early stages where needed. Our reading scheme offers progressive phonics books within EYFS and KS1 which are inclusive of non-fiction books, poetry and more. Reading books are matched directly to children’s learning and are progressive and sequential, following the same characters on a realistic journey through time. We ensure our reading books are interesting and exciting to encourage our children to be skilled readers, who enjoy reading for pleasure. We have a whole school lending library and a sharing book option for our younger children.

We follow a Mastery approach to mathematics, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to succeed. We teach our daily maths lessons through the mastery programme and work closely with our local maths hub experts. We primarily use NCETM to support our maths delivery, but also use selected resources from White Rose Maths. In EYFS & KS1 we follow the Mastering Number programme featuring familiar characters such as the Numberblocks to engage our learners in meaningful mathematics. 

We use a Talk for Writing approach for our English teaching, using the principles of talking through a text to develop key language skills used as a core component of learning. We ensure that children are taught the specific elements of spelling and grammar through the talk for writing approach. Our carefully sequenced planning also incorporates specific links to our whole class reading sessions and grammar work. 

We currently deliver PSHE and RSE using the 1Decision programme, supplemented with specifics from St John’s ambulance, PSHE association and Respect Yourself curriculum and Transition programme year 6&7. Key updates are provided as required. These, in conjunction with online safety lessons and our updated lessons on sexting and consent (upper KS2) fulfils the current curriculum requirements for RSE. We are in the process of continuing to update this element of our curriculum design in line with national updates. 

The full range of National Curriculum subjects is taught in the school as follows:

English
Mathematics
Science
Computing (Previously ICT)
History
Geography
Art
Music
Physical Education (PE)
Religious Education (RE)
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) Including Citizenship and Relationships, Sex Education (RSE)
Modern Foreign Languages (Key Stage 2)

Further details about these subjects can be obtained from school if required. Please see the curriculum document links below for information about the learning objectives.

Curriculum Impact

We measure the impact of our curriculum intent by reviewing what we hope to achieve against what we deliver and monitoring that alongside our curriculum aims.

Our successful curriculum enables learners to demonstrate confidence, resilience, respect and independence alongside a thirst for learning. Learners feel equipped for the world around them and have the confidence to question and enquire. Our learners meet the required standards to the best of their abilities and make the progress expected of them at their pace. Our learners are well prepared for the challenges of a Secondary school curriculum and are ready to fly when they leave us!

We know our learners are respectful and kind towards others and are valued members of their community. We are proud of them all. 

Curriculum Letters and Topic Webs 

Autumn 2022

Year 1 Curriculum letter and Topic Web Autumn 2022  Year 1 Curriculum Autumn 2022Year 1 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Autumn 2022

Year 2 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Autumn 2022 Year 2 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Autumn 2022

Spring 2023

Year 1 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Spring 2023  Year 1 Curriculum Letter Spring 2023Year 1 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Spring 2023

Year 2 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web  Spring 2023Year 2 Curriculum Letter Spring 2023Year 2 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Spring 2023

Summer 2023

Year 1 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Summer 2023 Year 1 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Summer 2023

Year 2 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Summer 2023 Year 2 Curriculum Letter and Topic Web Summer 2023